Receptacle closing and sealing device.



I. G. DOUGLAS. REGEPTAGLE CLOSING AND SEALING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILEDMAR. 7, 1913.

1,095,143. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR A TTOR/VEV UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVING G. DOUGLAS, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GOOPERAGE SEALCOMPANY, INC., NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RECEPTAOLE CLOSING AND SEALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed March 7, 1913. Serial No. 752,674.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVING G. DOUGLAS, citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at 11 Oxford Place, city of Montclair, county ofEssex, State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements inReceptacle Closing and Sealing Devices, of which the following is aSpecification.

This invention relates to closing and sealing devices for receptaclesand more particularly to barrels and the like which are provided with abung hole in which a bung is adapted to be positioned.

One of the objects of the invent-ion is to provide means whereby thebung cannot be withdrawn without destroying it.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the accidental removalof the hung from the bun hole.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for holding a sealin position above the bung and for preventing the removal of the sealintact.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.-

In the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative embodiment of thisinvention and in which the same reference numerals refer to similarparts in the several figures; Figure 1 is a sectional view of thedevice, the bung being shown in position within the bung hole; Fig. 2 isa similar view showing the device as the bung is about to be inserted inthe bung hole; Fig. 3 is a View in elevation of the device. showing thesame after the first step of the manufacture there- -of; Fig. 4 is asectional view taken on the line aa of Fig. 3. Fig.5 is a sectional viewtaken on the line bb of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar toFig. 5 showing the device after the second step in the manufacture ofthe same. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the seal. Fig. 8 is a sectionalview taken on the line c--c of Fig. 7.

In the illustrative embodiment of this invention hown in the drawings 1represents a portion of the barrel 0r receptacle provided with a bunghole 2 adapted to receive a bung 3. The device embodying the inventionis formed of any suitable metal and comprises a port-ion 4, preferablyannu lar in configuration, adapted to rest upon the outer surface of thereceptacle adjacent to the bung hole. As shown, this portion is providedwith an inwardly extending flange 5 forming a groove 6. Extendingdownwardly from the receptacle engaging portion 4 are a plurality ofarms 7, the lower ends of which are turned outwardly as indicated at 8.These arms, as shown in Fig. 2, normally converge toward one another,and they are made sufficiently flexible so that as the bung is driveninto the bung hole they will be forced outward into contact with thewall of the bung hole, as indicated in F 1g. 1, in which position theoutwardly bent ends 8 will extend under the inner surface of thereceptacle, thereby preventing the withdrawal of the device from thebung hole. To further assist in holding the device securely in the bunghole, the arms are provided with outwardly extending prongs orprojections 9, which are preferably formed by stamping them out of themetal of which the arms are made, and as the arms are driven outward bythe insertion of the bung these projections will be forced into the bodyof the receptacle.

. In order to hold the bung in position and bung is forced home withinthe bung hole will, be forced into the body of the bung as indicated inFig. 1, thereby securely holding it in position. It will be understood,of course, that by reason of the fact that these Erongs or projections10 extend into the ody of the bung, the latter must be destroyed beforeit can be removed, as any attempt to remove it without destroying itwill simply tend to make the projections 10 grip it more firmly. Thisprovision for preventing the removal of the bung without destroying itwill permit the use of a mark or the like upon each bung thereby addingto the security of the contents of the receptacle. If the recipient ofthe receptacle sees the proper mark upon the bung he will know that thecontents of the receptacle are genuine, whereas if the mark does notappear on the bung it would indicate to him that the original bung-andthe original contents of the receptacle had been removed.

As an additional security to the recipient of the receptacle a seal 11is provided which made of metal and which before being placed inposition is convex as shown in Fig, 8. This seal may also bear a mark orthe like indicating the origin of the goods in the receptacle. Thediameter of the seal in its normal or convex form is less than the innerdiameter of the flange 5, whereby the seal may be placed in positionabove the bung which has been driven in the bung hole. Pressure is thenapplied to the surface of the convex seal whereby it will be flattenedout and the edge will be driven into the groove 6. The diameter of thegroove is such that the seal may be flattened out throughout its area asindicated in Fig. 1. The flange 5 is made sufiiciently strong to preventits being raised without indicating the fact that it has been tamperedwith. From this description it will be seen that after the seal has beenplaced in position as shown in Fig. 1, it will be impossible to removeit without either destroying the seal or mutilating the flange. If,therefore, when the receptacle is received, the flange and the seal arein good condition the recipient will know that the receptacle has notbeen tampered with.

While, of course, the device may be formed in any suitable manner, it ispreferably formed in three steps. A blank is first stamped out and bentas shown in Figs. 3,

4 and 5. At the next step in the manufacture of the device the arms anda portion of the outer annular'ring are bent downward as indicated inFig. 6, and the third step of the process of manufacturing consists inbending the flange 5 to form the groove 6.

Having described this invention in connection with illustrativeembodiment thereof, to the details of which disclosure, the invention isnot, of course, to be limited, what is claimed as new and what isdesired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appendedclaims:

1. In a device of the class described, a portion adapted to rest uponthe outer surface of a receptacle adjacent the bung hole and to surroundthe bung hole, said portion having a bendable member depending from saidportion and adapted to extend within the bung hole, said member beingprovided with means to lock the device against removal, said memberbeing normally in the path of'the bung whereby as the bung is driveninto position said member will be forced into locking position.

2, In a device of the class described, a portion adapted to rest uponthe outer surface of a receptacle adjacent the bung hole and to surroundthe bung hole, said portion having a bendable member depending from saidportion and adapted to extend within the bung hole, said member beingprovided with projections adapted to co-act with the receptacle to lockthe device against removal, said member being normally in the path ofthe bung whereby as the bung is driven into position said member will beforced into locking position.

3. In a device of the class described, a portion adapted to rest uponthe outer surface of the receptacle adjacent the bung hole, andconverging flexible arms extending downwardly from said portion andadapted to extend into the bung hole, said arms being provided withportions adapted to co-act with the receptacle to lock the deviceagainst removal, said arms lying normally in the path of the bungwhereby, as the bung is driven into position, said arms will be spreadapart thereby causing said co-acting portions to lock the device inposition.

4. In a device of the class described, a portion adapted to rest uponthe outer surface of the receptacle adjacent the bung hole, andconverging flexible arms extending downwardly from said portion andadapted to extend into the bung hole, said arms being provided withoutwardly bent ends adapted to extend under the inner surface of thereceptacle adjacent the bung hole, said arms lying normally in the pathof the bung whereby, as the bung is driven into position, said arms willbe spread apart thereby causing said bent ends to extend under the innersurface of the receptacle locking the device against removal.

5. In a device of the class described, a portion adapted to engage theouter surface of the receptacle adjacent the bung hole, and convergingflexible arms extending downwardly from said portion and adapted toextend into the bung hole, said arms being provided with projectionsadapted to be forced into the receptacle and with projections adapted tobe forced into the bung, whereby, as the bung is being driven intoplace, said arms will be spread apart and said projections will bedriven into the receptacle and into the bung, locking the device, andalso the bung, against removal.

6. In a device of the character described, a portion adapted to restupon the outer surface-of the receptacle adjacent the bung hole, andflexible arms extending downwardly from said portion, said armsconverging from their free ends, the distance between said arms beingnormally less than the diameter of the bung, whereby, as the bung isdriven into position, said arms will be spread apart, said arms beingprovided with means co-acting with the receptacle to lock the deviceagainst removal when said arms are spread apart.

7 A device of the class described formed from a single piece of sheetmetal and comprising an annular portion adapted to engage the outersurface of the receptacle adjacent the bung hole, and a flange extendingIn testimony whereof I have signed my upwardly and inwardly therefromforming name to this specification in the presence of an annular grooveto hold a seal, and detwo subscribing witnesses.

pending means adapted to extend within the v v IRVING G. DOUGLAS. 5 bunghole and provided with projections Witnesses:

adapted to 00-2101; with the receptacle to lock F. A. ROHELEAU,

the device against removal. ROBERT B. DIOKSON.

